The Way Back to Middle Earth
by Ellie's imagination world
Summary: Ellie was going crazy being alone. So, to cure herself, she decided that a stroll in the forest would be a good idea. Well, she runs into two Handsome Dwarven brothers by the names Fili and Kili, trouble following them everywhere. How will she ever get them back home, to Middle Earth? What Will she do with an angry uncle Thorin? Who knew someone could change so much in one day...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! I'm ellie! (Not my real name) Welcome to my frist fanfic! Its not my first story - my story is "the door in my mother's office" on Fiction press. If you like this, you better go an check that out. Tell me what you think of my first chapter! I had a lot of fun writing this. **

**Enjoy!**

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Okay. I was done. I couldn't do it anymore. I had to go outside, before I made myself insane. True, it was nice that my parents were gone during the summer and leaving me alone with the house, but they were truly the only contact I had between me and the outside world. It didn't help that they took the car. Yes, I had money for emergencies and necessities. Yes, I did the chores around the house. And yes, I was going insane from lack of exposure from the outside world. The only thing in walking distance was the grocery store, the park and the forest that surrounded my house. I groaned, and leaned back in my comfy office chair. Looking over, I could spot the furry lump on the floor that was my cat. "Well Barney, wish me luck, even if in reality you don't give a shit." Didn't even twitch his ear. Stupid cat. I sighed while getting up. Deciding on the forest out of my three options, I set out.

I count myself as a very fond person of staying inside when given the chance, but I love this forest, loving the mysterious atmosphere it gave off. When I was small, I would run around pretending that I was a fairy, or elf, finding lost cities and colonies of dwarves, or other mystical creatures. I was also a HUGE fan of fantastical stories, and I still remain one. I could feel the cool mist against my pale skin, making a shiver run through me. Pulling my hoodie tighter, I made my way through the trees and bushes to my favorite spot. It wasn't much, just a giant old tree a few yards off the path. Its roots grew deep, moss covering most of the bark. To some, they might call the tree ominous. To me, I saw an old friend. Call me crazy, but I felt a voice at times, or a light poke of emotion in my mind whenever I'm here. It could just be my childhood ideas, but I still loved the idea of magic in my tree.

I sighed in content when I plopped myself down near the base of the tree, resting my back against it. Not far off I eyed two tall stone pillars. My parents told me that they were on the property when they got it, but never asked any questions about them. I always pictured them as two pillars to an archway, one beautiful and glorious when first made. You could even still see the faded runes engraved into the stone.

Opening my backpack, I took out my snack, sketchbook, and pencil. I didn't know what I would draw at the moment, but nature usually gave me some ideas. As I was mulling this over, I felt a crackle run through the air, pausing my line of thought. Looking around for the source, something odd caught my eye-weaving shock through my thoughts.

The pillars looked as if _lightning_ struck them, bolts of white electricity running and twisting around the stone, never staying in one shape. Standing up in alarm, I couldn't stop my eyes from widening at the sight before me. Hit me with a potato and call me mental, but I saw _figures appearing out of between the pillars._ First there was two tall ones, quickly appearing and running (by the looks of it) from by three other figures, and what appeared to be a mutant wolf.

It was all so bizarre and _fast. _The first two figures turned and pulled out what appeared to be _swords _and a _bow._ The other three and wolf surrounding them in a circle. In this situation I shouldn't even be able to squeeze a thought out, but those were some UGLY faces, ones that I had doubts even a mother could love. I have never seen such black and excessively pierced skin in my entire life. Faces drawn permanently into a sneer, these people(?) did not look too friendly. Especially when they hissed or roared like they were doing. Their targets-the two young men-were back to back, letting their faces show the challenge they offered, the fierceness they felt. I couldn't help but admire their courage in a small second. They were standing up against three ugly beasts, mocking them with laughing faces.

Thats when my fight or flight instinct kicked in. With the beasts drawing in closer to the two forms, I started to tremble. Should I help them? Should I run away? Still watching the tense figures in front of me, I saw the wolf move to strike first. It hasn't occurred to me until now, but that thing was gigantic!

The wolf bared its fangs and jumped, startling me with its speed. I let out a small scream. _Stupid stupid stupid! _One of the beasts looked over, locking his eyes with mine, ignoring the battle that had started to wage between his comrades and those they pursued, strangled shrieks and battle cries ringing out. A predatory sneer started to crawl on his face, giving me the impression that he didn't want to be my best friend. So I did what anyone would do when given a face like that.

I turned and ran for my life. Those two guys back there looked like they were handling themselves just fine.

Pumping my arms and legs took work. Sweat started to make its horrid appearance, making my clothes cling to my form uncomfortably. Running towards the path, I could hear the snaps of tree branches and growls pursuing my wheezing form, crashing through the underbrush much less gracefully than me.

"When I get catch you little girlie, I'm gonna gut you, make you squeal for yer _Snark _mum!" He wheezed out. I shivered at his grating voice, his threat making me run faster. Seeing the tree line ahead, I pushed myself even more. _So close!_ Just when I managed to reach the end of the forest, a clawed hand took ahold of my hoodie, yanking me back to the ground. Air rushed out of my chest from the hard impact, leaving me gasping. Looking up at the figure now looming over me, I saw the murder in his red eyes, causing a shiver of fear to run through my body. I was going to die. Barring his fangs and gripping his rusted sword tighter, my attacker raised his blade above his head, preparing to strike. "You're gonna wish you've never been bor-"

A sickening _thwack _interrupted him, an arrow sprouting out of his chest where his heart would be. Seeing my chance, I started to frantically crawl backwards until my back hit a tree. Trembling, I brought up my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, staring at the fallen and bloody form of my almost executioner. _What the HELL was that?_ My ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps, the sound making me freeze. _Oh god, more of them are coming. Think of something! Do something! _My eyes fell to the creature's rusted sword. Steeling myself, I rose from my spot by my tree and snatched up the rusty sword from the beast, still clutched in his clawed hand.

Standing shakily, I spread my feet shoulder width apart, facing where I heard crashes and curses coming from. My palms were getting sweaty, my arms shaking from the effort of holding up the heavy rusted piece of metal. I felt my heart sink to my feet, _I'll never last against them like this_ I thought, but I'll be damned if I don't try. Feeling a small amount of courage, I awaited what was crashing through the trees towards me.

I cringed when a form broke through the trees, then relaxed a bit when I realized it was one of the first two that had appeared. Backing up a little, I took this opportunity to see one of the people responsible for almost killing me. He was wearing a blue tunic, with furs on his shoulders, twin swords in his hands, raised to defend. His eyes were a fierce green, and his hair was a dark golden color, braided back from his face. He had a close cut neat beard, with two braids in his mustache with metal clasps at the ends. His height was huge, nearly a head taller than me.

When he stumbled his way onto the path, he froze for a minute when he saw my shaking form holding a sword. Turning his head slightly, still keeping me in sight, he called out into the woods behind him.

"Hey Kili, you better get over here." I heard more crashing and cursing.

"Did I get 'im? I thought I did-" More crashes were heard behind the blonde. "-Damn it Fili, why are we in a forest? I've never liked them-" Sighing, the blonde sheathed his swords and pinched the bridge of his nose as a dark figure stumbled out onto the path. The new arrival started to straighten himself, but froze like his companion for a moment when he caught sight of me. "Oh. So thats why you wanted me to come over."

I started to look this one over too. He had dark long hair, chocolate eyes, and stubble growing on his face. He had a long leather cloak, and a quiver of arrows slung over his back. I could see a sword peeking out from his hip, and a bow clutched in his hand. Both were huge. Both were staring at me with a strange look. I was probably giving them the same look. Swords? Bows? Leather? Armor? What were they, some weird campers?

I knew that wasn't the answer. Campers didn't come through lightning pillars with monsters chasing after them. Campers didn't kill monsters.

Looking over to his still gawking companion, 'Fili' nudged his arm and gestured to his bow, then to my still tense form holding the monster-sword. Realization covered his face, then slowly proceeded to place his weapon on the ground. Taking a hesitant step to my frozen form, the blonde started to speak in soft tones, as if not to startle me.

"Hey there. I am Fili, and this is my younger brother Kili. He was the one who killed that orc over there. We do not plan to harm you, so you can put that rusted piece of metal down." He took another step closer, making me instinctively clutch the grip of the sword tighter. Wait. Hold the phone. Did he say _Orc?_ Did he say their names were _Fili _and _Kili?_ Nonsense. They were just crazy. There were _characters from a book!_ They couldn't be real! While was busy processing the impossible, Fili had walked his way right in front of me, gently prying my fingers away from the sword's grip with his warm and calloused hands. Throwing the hunk of metal into the bushes, Fili now gently held my trembling hands in his own huge ones.

Bringing one of my hands to his lips, he brushed them on the back of my hand causing me to blush like a tomato. "May I have the pleasure of knowing your fair name?"

Hot damn. This was really happening. I was surprised my brain managed to gather enough power to give my name. "M-my name is Ellie." I managed to stutter out.

Kili decided to speak up. "Brother, stop taking advantage of the moment. Ellie, can you tell us the direction the East Road is? We can be on our way if we know where it is." The East Road? Oh crap, thats right. They're from another world. Shit. What do I do now? There is no East Road on earth. Thats back on _Middle_ Earth.

I finally regained control over my tongue again. "Ahh-Well, I've never heard of an East Road before. Are you sure its around here?"

Kili scoffed. "We were just on it. How we ended up in this forest is a mystery." At this point I've figured that it would be easier to show then rather than tell them they are in a different world.

Gently tugging my hands out of Fili's hold, I took a step back. "Do you two have a map? I have some at home, if you want to compare."

Both of the men's - excuse me, _dwarves_ - faces lit up at the mention of a house. I bet they have been on the road for a long time. "Before we go, I would like to get my things." As I made my way back through the trees, I could hear the murmuring of the brothers talking to one anther as they followed me to my tree. When I broke through into the clearing, What I saw almost made me hurl. I bet my face was a healthy shade of green.

The area by the pillars was carnage. Black sprays of blood coated the nearby trees, pieces of dark flesh were strewn about on the forest floor. The head of a mutant wolf was frozen in a growl, apart from its body. Oh Jesus, they definitely didn't need my help at all. I'm glad I didn't stay, or my head would have been right along with wolfie there.

Taking a deep breath, I purposely strode directly to my tree, focusing all of my attention on my pack at it's base. Snatching up my things as fast as I could, I power walked back to the path, ignoring my bloody surroundings as best as I could. Striding directly up to Fili and Kili, I looked them directly in the eyes. "Did you two kill those things?" I wasn't asking for an opinion, or an apology. I just wanted to know if they were capable of such bloodshed.

Both looked back into my eyes unflinchingly, giving solemn nods. Giving a curt nod of acknowledgement, I quickly started to walk back to my house not giving a word to them to follow, but having a feeling they would anyway. What have I got myself into? They were murders, they killed all those things! _They were trying to kill them first._ Shut up. Those things were _not,_ _couldn't_ be orcs. Orcs didn't exist. They were a made up race in a realm of fantasy. Did those pillars have something to do with this? Did I hit my head and hallucinate all this? If so, I had a really twisted imagination. _Did you not feel his hands on yours? Did that not feel real enough?_ Didn't I say shut up? Yes, they did feel real, but still - they can't be characters out of a book. Its impossible. If I have to believe it, I need proof.

Spotting my house in the distance, I could see the misty sky above it. _Looks like its about to rain._ Looking behind me, I could make out the figures of the two dwarves walking after me up the hill. Highly inconvenient this hill. Even when I was younger, it was always a challenge to get to the top - always wheezing when I reached my home. As the years went on, so did my endurance. It still was a punch in the legs and lungs though.

_Finally._ I thought as I reached our porch. I turned around and waited for them. When they reached my spot, I couldn't see one _inkling_ of wheezing anywhere. In fact, they didn't seem winded at all. Jeez. These guys must have muscle of steel. "Milady, is this your home?" Kili's voice was filled with wonderment, looking around and drinking in the sight of the porch. _Its just a porch. Nothing to get too exited about. _

I shrugged. "Yeah, I live here." I turned and opened the door. "Sorry about the mess. Do you want some tea?" Looking back over my shoulder, I could see both of them looking around with immense curiosity. From the instruments on the walls to the T.V. in the living room. I looked down to their stomping feet. NO. NOT IN THIS LIFE TIME. "WAIT!" Both froze, deer in headlights. "If you don't take those absolutely _muddy_ boots off before you step foot in this house, I'll kick you out faster than you can say 'potatoes'." Both of them visibly relaxed, faces slowly slipping into grins.

Fili laughed. It was a wonderful rumbling sound, and I wanted to hear more of it. "A woman who is concerned about the well being of her home is definitely one to trust. A messy house never has a good host!" Both were grinning at my threat about their shoes, and the potato part. Seriously, what was my problem with potatoes lately? Whatever. Men were the same everywhere. With a huff, I went to go and fetch my map of the United States. When I came back to the living room, I saw both brothers had stripped themselves down to tunic, belt, breaches, and socks. In the corner of my eye, I could see a pile of Armor and weapons lying by their boots. At least they took those boots off, so no cleaning for me.

Looking to Kili, I put the map on the table. I tried to get the simplest one, without any roads or highways on it to confuse them. Seeing my map, Kili pulled his out of their packs, bringing it back to the worn wooden coffee table. Stepping back, I let the brothers compare the pair of maps. It didn't take as long as I'd thought it would. In fact, it took them only a few minutes to realize. Kili looked up, a perplexed and slightly panicked look on his face. "Ellie, this map is all wrong. Do you have another? One of Middle Earth?"

Looking him hard in the eyes, I pushed him a little towards the truth. "You can go look yourself - they will all be the same. Every one is of America. It's the country we're in."

Fili quietly placed a hand on his brother's arm to stop him from talking again, probably to say that its impossible - they can't be in another world. "Kili, I think that we are not in the same world we woke up in this morning." Kili was studying his brother's face, for a sign of jest, but found none.

"So we really are no longer in Middle earth, are we?" He quietly asked no one in particular.

"I'm sorry to say that's what it looks like." Sighing, I sat down on the old worn couch, comfy from years of use. "I think you're stuck here until I figure out how to get you back."

We all sat in silence for a moment, chewing on the idea for a bit before Fili said the most fitting line anyone could have said in that moment. "Well, shit."

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**SO? What do you think? Any tips? Thoughts? PLEASE REVIEW. IT GIVES ME WRITING POWERS. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Woot woot! Chapter 2! This took me a long time to write. I hope you Like it! Special thanks to Fangirlatyourservice, katnor, and xAlyana for being the first to review! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH REVIEWS MEAN TO ME. ITS THE FUEL TO MY WRITING FIRE. Seriously, I love reviewers. **

**Enjoy!**

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I was shocked. Fili seemed like such a stoic and proud person, and yet he was the first to curse. Letting a smile crawl over my face, I gave a nervous laugh. Kili also had a weary smile on his face, amused at his brother's antics.

Ok - now it was time to play detective. Interrupting the silence, I started my questioning. "So," I began. "where were you guys headed?"

Kili was the first so speak up, eager to answer. "We were heading to Hobbiton." Hobbiton. Huh. So, they were just on their way to Bilbo's, at the beginning of their journey.

I mulled this over. Nothing crucial has happened yet, so I don't have to worry about altering the storyline. I just had to get their butts back to Middle Earth in time. Wait. How did they get here? Looking at them, I gave another question. "What do you remember happening, before you came here?"

Fili answered this time. "We were ambushed, by orcs on the road. They chased us into the forest, during a thunder storm in the middle of the night. All I can remember is running through two trees, both being struck by lightning when we reached the area between them. Then we appeared here." Kili nodded, confirming his brother's story.

Well damn. Sounds like they came here completely by accident. That's going to make my task all the harder...I groaned and leaned back into the couch. Both brothers had followed my movements closely, taking note of my distressed expression on my face.

"What? What is it?" Kili sounded a bit panicked. Looking over, I saw to my amusement that both dwarves were on the edges of their seats, looking intently at my slouching form.

"Well," I began hesitantly. I didn't know how they would take this. "its going to be a little hard getting you home. From the story you told me, it sounds like you came here completely by accident. Accidents aren't easy to replicate." Leaning back, Kili let out a muttered 'shit'. I heartily agreed with him. While my thoughts were working, a question arose in my mind. If they were dwarves, why were they so damn _tall?_

Looking over at their now slouching forms, I studied them a little more closely. They _were_ tall, taller than most human men. Aren't Dwarves supposed to be shorter than the race of men? They were certainly taller than me. "Are you two unusually tall for your race?"

Fili gave me a funny look. "We are a bit taller than the average dwarf, but we still don't reach a man's height. Why?"

Kili was now tuned into the conversation, curious to see where this was heading. "Because, I myself am human." Now both of them wore funny expressions.

"Impossible. You're too small!" I felt like hitting Kili upside the head. Now I know how Gandalf feels whenever Pipin was around.

I gave him a challenging look. "Would you like to take a stroll into town and see all the little humans?" Getting up, I didn't wait for him to answer. I needed some chai tea. With lots of honey and cream. Looking up from filling the kettle with water, I saw both Fili and Kili in the kitchen doorway, giving the sink amazed looks. Oh crap. They don't have running water in Middle Earth, do they?

Kili was the one to ask first. "How is there water coming out of those metal pipes?" Looking at him, I felt a wave of weariness wash over me. So I said the simplest thing that I could think of, something that they could grasp the concept of.

"Magic." I replied curtly. All I got was an 'oh'. Recalling their exited faces when I first mentioned a house, I glanced at them from the corner of my eye while passing them to the stove. They looked dirty. Should I...? "Would either of you like to bathe while you're here?" It was truly an adorable sight to see their faces light up like it was Christmas. I wish I had a camera for that moment, but I didn't feel like explaining what that was either. I couldn't help but let a smile on my face at their childish behavior. Now fully facing them, Kili too this chance to catch me in a bear hug.

"You are too kind, little human!" I wheezed and he laughed, letting me slip out of his warm embrace. I was blushing like a little girl. _Jeez, get your hormones under control._ Turning around sharply, I started to make my decent downstairs to the laundry room, both dwarves following me like lost puppies.

Looking behind me, I gave a laugh at the sight of them following all throughout the house. "You both don't have to follow me everywhere, you know. I think I'm perfectly fine protecting myself in my own house." Their faces looked a little embarrassed. "You two can wait for me upstairs." Flashing them a genuine smile, I disappeared into the depths of the laundry room.

Clothes. They definitely needed new clothes and desperately needed to wash the ones they were wearing. Lucky for me, my brother's old clothes were still here from when he moved out. Aaron wasn't a big and burly person like the dwarves upstairs, but his clothes would do for the moment. Getting two pairs of sweatpants and t-shirts, I raced upstairs. The sight in the living room made me grin like an idiot.

My cat, whose name is Barney (Not after the purple dinosaur, I swear) was a very lazy cat. Lazy, but also like any cat, extremely curious. So it didn't surprise me to see that he stalked his way up from the basement to investigate the new arrivals. What surprised me was the look on Fili and Kili's faces when Barney deemed them pet worthy, and started to purr and rub all over their frozen legs.

Their faces were a cross with terror and curiosity as they looked down at the purring cat, weaving his way through their legs. "Ellie, what is this-this _thing?"_

I couldn't help but laugh. Kili sent me a look saying 'How dare you laugh at our fear', just making me laugh harder. From my reaction, Fili could see that the new animal was no threat, visibly letting the worry seep out of his tense shoulders. When I recovered from my fit of laughter, I managed to wheeze something out. "Its just a cat! Barney couldn't of seriously hurt you even if he tried!"

"A cat?" Fili looked down at the purring ball of orange fur with a dubious expression.

"Yes, a cat." With a giggle, I scooped up the orange ball of purrs with a smile on my face, scratching him under his chin making his eyes close and purr like a lawnmower. "Perfectly friendly." Ha. Get it? _Pur_fectly. _Oh god, here comes the puns. _Shut up. Fili looked intrigued at the sudden discovery, and drew closer to me and the lawnmower.

Reaching out a hesitant hand, Fili reached under Barney's chin and mimicked my scratches, earning a storm of purrs. Looking up, I saw a smile spread over his face, like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds. I was so focused on his smiling face looking down at Barney, I almost didn't catch Kili ask about who would go first in the bath.

Snapping out of my trance, I looked over to Kili, and shrugged. "You guys decide. It doesn't matter to me who gets a bath first." I figured a bath was an easier way of bathing for them, so I wouldn't have to explain more mind boggling inventions to them - like how I could make it rain inside without clouds.

Fili was quick to pick up the opportunity. "I'll go, since I'm the eldest." He said quickly, before his brother could beat him to the punch. Nodding, I dumped the almost passed out cat on Kili, giggling at his panicked face.

I patted him on the shoulder. "Really, he only bites when you're mean. Relax." I got a stiff nod. I led Fili into the bathroom then turned around. I decided that it was time to lay down the bathroom rules. "First off, don't strip when I'm in the same room." I got a nod, and a blush. Blush? Adorable. So I'm not the only little kid. "Second, you'll put your clothes outside by the door when you're done getting undressed. Third, there's a towel on the toilet. Use that after you're done. Any questions?"

Fili nodded. "Yes. Are those the clothes that I wear after I'm finished?" He pointed to the bundle in my arms.

"Yeah." So after a few questions about the sink and toilet, and some embarrassing explaining, I got the tub full and let him do whatever. Before I left, I looked back to him over my shoulder - and saw that he already had his tunic off, giving me a glorious view of his pecks and defined abs, with runes and scars littering his toned upper body. Blushing a healthy red, I tried to stop my eyes drifting from his eyes. "Will you tell Kili what I just told you?"

"Yes." He looked a little eager to continue stripping and get clean.

"Okay. Tell me when you're done." I turned and walked out as fast as I could. Now in the living room, I saw that Kili's previous fear of cats had dissipated. He was sitting on the couch with a ball of fur that had the sounds of a revving truck, petting contently. Hearing me enter, he looked up and grinned. "Cats aren't that ferocious after all, huh?"

Kili shook his head. "Not at all. It was foolish of me to fear such a harmless creature." His face perked up after a second. "Do you have any food I could eat?"

I grinned back at him. "Sure, in the kitchen. What are you hungry for?"

His face was eager. "What ever you have would do. I'm so hungry I could eat a cow."

I laughed. "I hope it doesn't come to that." I motioned for him to sit on a stool by the counter. "Have a seat." Sitting down, he watched me as I worked. I should make something filling - I was getting a feeling that dwarf stomachs were just as bottomless as Hobbits. I decided on the easiest, and most filling food; Spaghetti and meatballs with sausages. At least knew how to make that. While I was getting the food out, Kili watched me with curious eyes.

"What are you making?"

"Some noodles and meat. Sound good?" I saw him nod vigorously at my decision.

Happily, I started to prepare the easy meal. Cooking was one of my chief domains. It came just as easily to me as drawing. Before I started boiling the water, I gave Kili a plate of bread and cheese to snack on so he wouldn't starve. In the blink of an eye, he had completely inhaled the whole plate in a matter seconds. I gave up at that point giving him proper snack bites, and just handed him the whole loaf and block of cheese, catching a happy face plastered on Kili, making me smile.

Taking off my hoddie, I threw it on the dinning room table. Kili saw my movement, looking a little surprised at my t-shirt with Link from Legend of Zelda on it, but remained silent.

After a few moments of cooking and snaking contently, Kili decided to voice some thoughts. "So how do you plan to get us back?" He plopped another piece of bread in his mouth.

My hands stilled for a split second, then resumed forming meatballs. "I have no idea." I whispered.

He was watching my face closely, still eating. "...Do you know where to start looking for answers?"

Looking up, I saw that he was totally focused on my face. "I have an idea of where to look."

He gave a nod of satisfaction. "Where?"

I gave him a full on grin. "To the library, books are the best weapons in the world!" I was personally satisfied with my Doctor Who reference, but only earned a weird look from Kili.

He gave what I said a thought for a moment. "I suppose you're right. With the right knowledge, you could be dangerous." Pushing his nearly gone snacks aside, he stood. "Would you like some help?"

I smiled. "Sure. Just _wash_ your hands before you touch anything. Please." He gave me a blank look when I motioned to the sink. Sighing, I grabbed his hands and brought them over and turned on the faucet, squirting some soap on them and lathering them up. Man, his hands were _dirty._ On the other hand (HA), he hasn't showered for Gods know how long..._just don't think about it._ As I was scrubbing away at his hands, he gently clasped mine, his hands completely engulfing my two small ones.

I shivered as his warm breath tickled my ear. "I think that I can take it from here." Looking up, I saw something strange flicker in his eyes, but quickly dismissed it as Fili walked into the kitchen.

"Whats all this, then?" He asked, looking around at the occupied kitchen, his eyes falling on our two forms, arching an eyebrow.

Blushing like an idiot for the umpteenth time that day, I tried my best to respond. "W-well, Kili was just offering his services to help me cook."

Fili looked over to Kili. "He shouldn't handle food in his dirty state. Kili, go and wash up while I take your place." Moving to take Kili's place by my side, I couldn't help but see Kili's disappointed face.

Looking up to Fili, I remembered that Kili didn't know how to work a tub. "Fili, can you keep forming meat balls like the ones I've made? I need to fix up the tub for Kili." Looking intently into my eyes, he gave a nod.

Motioning for Kili to come over, Fili proceeded to tell him about the rules of the bathroom, making me grateful that I didn't have to explain all that over again. When they were done, I lead the way to the bathroom.

On the way, I snatched up the sweat pants and shirt that KIli would be wearing instead of his current filthy clothes. Opening the door, I let him sit on the lid of the toilet while I filled the tub up for the second time that day.

A bath and a lot of time cooking later, the two brothers were seated at the dinning room table, stuffing their faces. I knew that dwarves loved food, but soon enough when I placed a plate full of food in front of them, all manners disappeared. Now I know why Bilbo was freaking out when thirteen dwarves started to wreck his house...

Looking up from devouring his food, Fili noticed that I didn't have a plate full of meat and spaghetti in front of me. "Ellie, are you not hungry?" He eyed my form, giving consideration to my waist size, making me blush and slouch a little. "You certainly are small... you should be eating."

I gave him a lopsided smile. "No Fili, I'm not hungry. But you both can eat all you want. I certainly can't eat it all!" Seeing a nod from Fili, I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back in my chair. I didn't think that I could eat after the carnage I saw earlier..._just don't think about it. Don't think about it. _

The brothers certainly looked good in normal clothes, even if they were just t-shirts and sweatpants. When we would go into town, they would fit in well enough. Looking at the clock in the kitchen, I saw that it was close to three in the afternoon. If we were to get to the library in time, we should leave soon. What would I look for? Wiccan spell books? History on witches and wizards? Would any of it even be _true_? This was going to be hard. Books were more reliable than the internet, but there was so few available...

Looking over at the brothers again, I saw that they were finishing their last bites, talking in a growling, rough language. Was that Khuzdul? Awesome, I was listening to the secret language of the dwarves! Damn it, focus Ellie! Town. Library. Get dwarves ready. "Hey guys," They stopped talking. "would you like to go into town and investigate a little?" They shot up from their seats immediately.

"You mean we're going to that place you mentioned? The Ly-branry?" I laughed at Kili's excitement.

"Its called the 'Library', and yes, we're going there. So get your ridiculously big boots on. OUTSIDE, though. Don't you dare bring those muddy boots inside." Giving me weary but understanding looks, the dwarves went outside with boots in hand. Snatching my keys and pack, I followed close after.

"Where are we going?" Fili asked as they followed me off of the porch.

"To a place of knowledge." I smirked at my own cool phrase. It did sound awesome, aside from the fact that I didn't know where the hell to start looking.

We walked for a while. Walking into town wasn't a stroll in the woods (okay, it was through the woods.), but a long hike that I tended to avoid, unless it was necessary. I would say that this situation was necessary enough, but I didn't know how the brothers would handle all the people, or the grocery store for that matter._ I have to get some food for their bottomless pits they call stomachs..._

I gave a happy shout when I spotted the tops of a cluster of buildings. _I didn't pass out on the way here! _I was just happy we made it before five. At least we had some time to do some research. When we drew closer to town, Fili and Kili immediately started to flank my sides, studying every person we walked passed. I looked up to both of them. "Whats wrong? Are you two okay?"

Fili looked down at me with a face filled with caution. "This town...is strange. We would feel more assured if you are by our side at all times."

I smiled, touched that they would worry for my safety. Reaching down, I took one of their hands in both of mine, gently squeezing and tugging them along to the library. I let out a laugh as Kili suddenly lifted me into his arms, swinging me around and pulling girly giggles from my dizzy form. He looked down and grinned at me. "Where to, princess?" I blushed and tried my best to point to the library. Princess? Certainly not. But it was nice to be complemented once in a while. Looking over Kili's broad shoulder as we entered the library, I could see Fili grinning at my blushing face, making me stick my tongue out at him. It just made him chuckle and grin wider. _Damn it. _

As we walked in, we got some weird looks. I could totally understand. These brothers were _very_ attractive, but in a medieval kind of way, from all the braids and long hair. I could see many young girls and women send me seething looks, making me try and shrink back into Kili's chest, which he didn't seem to mind one bit.

Steering Fili and Kili in the right direction, we approached the front desk. The little old woman at the desk was certainly an odd one. She had silver steel unruly curly hair, bits and pieces sticking out in odd places. Covering her thin shoulders was an old tattered shawl, covering a worn purple dress. But what struck me as odd was her eyes - they were a sharp green, filled with a youth that the rest of her body didn't posses. Looking up from under her huge spectacles, she studied us, giving nothing away under her stony mask.

Blushing again, I tugged on Kili's sleeve to let me down, doing as requested but reluctantly. She eyed us in an unnerving matter, as if seeing right through our bodies to the soul. "What can I help you dearies with today? Any special requests?"

I swallowed thickly. "Um, yes." Leaning in closer, I whispered. "Do you have anything on...um...magic?"

She grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. "Just one moment, Dearie." I could faintly hear her mutter 'I knew it.' before she disappeared into the back office. Looking back to the dwarves, I could see from their faces that they were both equally confused as me by the strange old lady.

Shrugging, I turned around, only to let out a little squeak of surprise to see that the old lady had returned. _She's like a ninja._ My eyes were quickly drawn to what she clutched in her tiny worn hands. The old book was leather bound, and _huge, _about a foot wide, and tall. There was some ribbons sticking out of odd places, and the title was so worn that it was indecipherable. Pages seemed ready to fall out at any moment. She eagerly held the book out for me to take. Hesitantly, I reached for the strange book, but when I finally gripped it her hands took a hold of my wrists in an iron grip. I looked up, alarmed by her strong and sudden hold. Leaning in, her raspy voice tickled my ear. "Better you all hurry home, dearies. Nighttime is a dangerous time to be about. There are strange things waiting, in the dark. Oh, and don't you worry about that book. Keep it. You'll have more use of it than I would of ever had." Releasing me, I stumbled back a little, and nodded to the old lady before turning on my heals and walking out of there as fast as I could.

Passing the brothers, I could see both of them clutching something in their waistbands of their sweat pants, still eyeing the lady behind the desk on the way out. _Knives? Did they seriously bring knives to town? _I mentally shrugged. Whatever. I don't even care any more. _Let's just get some food and go home_.

Walking to the store across the street, book still clutched to my chest, the brothers flanked both of my sides again, bringing a weary smile to my face. Reaching down, Fili grasped my hand, gently squeezing.

When we entered the harshly lighted building filled with food, it was like both dwarves automatically became five-year-olds. The excitement gleamed in their eyes, and I thought that I should have brought leashes for them, Y'know, those kitty ones attached to little animal back packs? Yeah, those. Grabbing a cart, I wheeled around the store while I slapped one of their hands every time they tried to pick something up they shouldn't. There was tons of 'what is this's and 'can we get this?'s. Soon enough after a few good whacks, both brothers learned that I wasn't to be trifled with at that moment.

When it was time to check out, I got them a bag of bite size brownies because I felt bad. Kili was begging me earlier to buy them, so his face lit up when it was thrown into the cart. Distributing the bag load evenly, we set out for home in the quickly fading light.

_Oh dear God, I hope we're close to home._ My legs were aching, my fingers were cramping from holding the bags for so long, and I wanted to eat those brownies like a monster when we got back. Did I mention it was starting to get really dark out? Feeling bad for the hitting and slapping in the store, I let Fili and Kili have a few brownie bites on the way back. Their reactions were priceless, eyes lighting up and jaws slackening slightly. They immediately asked for more, but I had to refuse if there was going to be enough for all of us by the time we got back.

I sighed and studied the surrounding trees. I _think_ that we were close, I just wasn't sure in the dim light. _Wait a second, is that branch moving?_ I narrowed my eyes and slowed slightly. Fili looked back at me. "Ellie, what's wrong?"

I pointed to where I saw the tree branch move. "Do you see anything over there? I thought I saw something move."

Both brothers were squinting into the forest now. "I don't see anythin-"

Poor Kili was cut off by a running form, crashing right into him. "Kili!" Fili and I both cried as we rushed to his fallen form. Fili pulled the new figure off while I helped Kili back on his feet. Both of us looked over to Fili, were he was visibly struggling to contain the new arrival.

Letting out an 'oof', Fili clutched his stomach while the figure broke free of his grip. "You bloody Fools!" His voice rumbled through out the space, making me shiver a bit. "By Mahal's beard, Its me! Your uncle!" Both of the brother's eyes widened.

"Thorin?" Kili managed to whisper.

Giving each dwarf a curt nod, and me a strange look, he had a urgent look on his face. "Get the lass out of here, Orcs are on the move."

A wave of panic washed over me. Shit, orcs again? Thanks a lot, Thorin. I wasn't prepared to face those foul creatures again. Kili gave me no more time to think as he griped my hand and pulled me into a run in the direction of my house, and our haven.

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**What do you think? Sorry if its a little rushed. Tell me what you liked about it! REVIEW! **


	3. Chapter 3

**HOWDY! First: I must apologize for the late update. I had my birthday, I've been sick, and I've had to make up work I've missed when I was sick. It has majorly sucked. **

**Fangirlatyourservice: Thank you so much! I'M SO HAPPY YOU REVIEWED!**

**Katnor: Thanks for bearing through the rushiness. And yeah, I thought it would be fun for them to encounter a creature different from the ones in ME. I know there's been a lot of Orcs lately, but I promise it'll all tie up in the end.**

**xAlyana: OH MY GOODNESS Thanks so much! I've tried to give lots of character to Ellie, so she isn't some flat Mary-sue. **

**THANKS FOR REVIEWING! :D**

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Well. Wasn't this just an _eventful _day. Dwarves, near death experiences, playing detective, meeting a deranged old woman, baby sitting magically appearing dwarves, and just to put the cherry on top, _we have one more freaking dwarf with us being chased by bloodthirsty Orcs._ How the _hell _did my life become so screwed up in one day? Feeling a drop on my cheek, I looked up to see a thunderstorm getting ready to let loose. _Correction: life can get worse._

Kili was practically pulling me off my feet from the speed he was running. Didn't dwarves have really low stamina? Huh. I'm just astonished that my sarcasm levels were so high in this stressful situation. Why can't I think of good sarcasm when I need it?

Snapping out of my thoughts, I heard a howl. Wolves? Its _Wargs._ Shut up. Kili looked a bit more panicked than before, looking behind our running forms. Suddenly, he yanked me forward, lifting me up into a princess style for the second time that day, running much faster without having to drag me. Behind, I could see Thorin running with Fili not far away - both of then were armed. Behind Thorin and Fili I could see dark shapes shifting in the dark, the quickly fading daylight obscuring my sight.

Kili finally reached the top of the hill, letting me down on the porch so I could shakily get ahold of my keys. _Why did I even lock the door? Its not like anyone comes out here anyways. _Mentally shaking away my thoughts, I focused on our current predicament. _Keyskeyskeysgetyourfricken'keys. _I let out a puff of air, relieved when I slid the key into the lock, opening up the door for Kili. Rushing in, I was slightly surprised when he went for the pile of weapons and armor in the corner. But then again, we were being hunted by angry monsters, so I shouldn't be too surprised. He grabbed his own sword along with Fili's twin blades. Rushing back outside, he tossed the two sheathed swords to his brother - who at the moment was having troubles holding off the enemy with just a dagger - catching them effortlessly.

Fili grinned deviously as the sheaths slid off his swords. He stood back to back with Thorin, swinging his blades in bloody arcs and swift slashes, in tune with his uncle's well practiced bloodied blade. Kili was holding me behind his body, shielding me away from any orc who dared to draw near his sword. Before I was pulled behind Kili, I saw around four wargs with riders burst through the tree line, making me shiver as I recalled my last run-in with these creatures. We were in some serious shit.

My body-at the moment-was running on adrenaline. It fueled my tired muscles, and kept me from collapsing against Kili's back. Where were these orcs coming from? _Note to self: investigate magical pillars later. First priority: don't die. _

I was-quite literally-yanked back from my fleeting thoughts by a clawed hand. Kili cried out in alarm as he saw my kicking form being dragged away, desperately slicing his way through the surrounding orcs. But his efforts were in vain, intervened by a warg. _How did my life end up like this? What the hell, I was supposed to die alone with 50 cats. _I pondered how my life should have ended as I was flopped over the back of a snarling warg. I looked up, catching Kili's panicked filled eyes.

Tears started to stream down my face. There was such desperation, such honest worry in his face. No one has ever cared that much about me, not even my parents. I didn't want him to die for my sake, even if I was one of the only people who could help him and his brother get back to Middle Earth. I didn't want them to die for my sake.

I gave him a watery smile, my arm twitching from the thought of waving goodbye, but found my arms and legs tied securely to a crude saddle, fashioned for warg riding. _Well damn. Can't even wave._ So instead, I mouthed him 'Bye' as the rider climbed on behind my tied form, kicking the snarling beast into motion. If anything, his fighting became more desperate as we disappeared into the trees.

I was exhausted. My adrenaline high was wearing off, leaving me to deal with weary muscles. It didn't make the situation much better that it was still pouring, soaking my clothes clean through. Looking up from my position on the saddle, I caught sight of the not-too-friendly smiling face of a gruesome orc staring back. Seeing his sharp and toothy grin, I started to tug at my bindings. Why was I such a wimp? Why couldn't I be a badass heroine like in books? I started to tug harder on my bindings. Heavy from the rainfall, my hair was falling in wet strands into my eyes due to my struggles. Irritation bubbled up inside me. Flicking my hair back with a snap of my head, I saw something bright in the corner of my eye.

It was the pillars. We were bounding right to the them, alight with lightning bolts weaving through the two tall stones like liquid. A dark figure stood between them, radiating a dark suffocating power that stole the air out of my lungs, stilling my struggles. _Whoever that is, they doesn't look too friendly. _We were quickly drawing nearer, my fear of the figure growing with the quickly disappearing ground. When we were down to the last ten feet, something entirely unexpected happened.

The old lady from the library appeared, standing right warg's path. She gripped in her worn hand a staff, with feathers and animal teeth hanging from the pointed tip by leather strings. _What's she gonna do, throw books at us?_ My thoughts were silenced when I saw a light quickly grow in her hand, lifting her arm and launching the glowing orb at the Warg beneath Mr. Orc and me, sending us both sailing through the air. Guess my ropes weren't all that strong after all. Falling to the ground, I heard my captor's body fall not too far from me, with the exception of hearing an audible 'snap' when his head made contact with the ground, forcing his neck at an awkward position. I couldn't help but flinch at the sound, silently marveling at how lucky I was.

Hearing a crashing commotion behind my fallen and aching form, I turned away from the gruesome scene - only to see two sweat pant clad dwarves led by a very angry looking Thorin crashing through the trees.

A pain pulsing through my body distracted me from the dwarves. Oh _God_ I ached. _You were launched at least ten feet, you've gotta hurt after a fall like that._

A crackling pulled me from my pain. Looking over, I could see library lady striding towards the pillars at a surprising speed, her staff alight with an unearthly glow. She stopped before the pillars, raising her staff to the center of the growing darkness . "You shall not have this door, evil filth. I wield the blessing of fae blood, you cannot overcome my door to Mithgad! Now, BE GONE!" And with that she stabbed the dark figure forming, releasing a horrible screech that made my ears ring. The lightning released the two stones with a crackle, the darkness folding in on itself until it was no more.

I saw her small frame turn to my still bound form. Walking over and kneeling by my side, she gave a grandmotherly smile as she worked on my bindings. "Now dearie, didn't I tell you to get along home _before_ dark?" I groaned as she helped me into an upright position, giving her a weary, but grateful smile.

Groaning again, I clutched my head as the world swam around me. Patting me on the back, library lady gave an understanding look. "Ye hit your head pretty hard there, dear. Better get you inside and cleaned up. HEY YOU THREE." I started a little when she screeched over to the three frozen dwarves. "Get your butts over here and help the poor girl up." Not two seconds later did I feel large and warm hands grip me gently. I bit my lip, holding back another groan as the world blurred around me, making my stomach churn.

I felt myself being gently lifted up, then pulled against a blessedly warm chest. "Easy there lass. You took a hard hit to your head." I made a strangled sound as I clutched onto Fili's shirt, squeezing my eyes shut. As we walked through the forest, I clutched on tighter, clenching my teeth through the pain coursing in my head.

I could hear Thorin whisper to Kili. "Kili, who are these women?"

"I'm not entirely sure about the elder one" His voice held a twinge of confusion. "but the girl Fee has is Ellie. She's clothed and fed us, helping us ever since we've appeared in this strange world."

It was Thorin's turn to be confused. "...Strange world?"

I could hear Kili's cautioned voice. "Yes uncle, we're in another world. Those pillars back there seem to be the reason. Ellie has agreed to try and get us back to Aule."

"Preposterous." Thorin scoffed. "I've never heard of such a thing. We can't be in another world."

Thorin's doubts were cut off by the library lady. _I really need to get her name. _"Don't doubt your nephew's words yet, Thorin Oakensheild, son of Thror, son of Thrain. That girl in Fili's arms is the only reason that both of your nephews are not completely lost. Now _stop your chattering_ and hurry up! Those wounds aren't going to heal themselves!" And with that I heard her shuffle off to the forest path. Man, that lady can _move_ for her old age.

Fili bent down to my ear. "Should we follow her?"

I mustered my quickly waning strength to answer. "Where...is she going?" I managed to wheeze.

He paused. "It seems like she is walking to your house..."

I heaved a sigh. "Just follow her. If she wanted to hurt us she would have already." I just wanted to get to my bed and dry off. Feeling Fili nod, I clutched on tighter to his shirt as we started to walk.

I heard someone walk up to us. "Fee, is she alright?" I could plainly hear the worry in Kili's voice as I continued to clutch my eyes closed.

"I don't know Kee. She seems to be losing strength, which worries me. We should hurry." And with that, Fili started to power walk up that horrible hill. I was just thankful I didn't have to walk it myself, I didn't think I would've made it to the top without collapsing in a sweaty and wheezing heap. Fili noticed my grip slipping. "Hold on Ellie, we're almost to the house."

I gave a slight nod. I just _really_ wanted to sleep. Sleep sounded nice. "Keep her awake! Do _something_ useful, you lazy Dwarfs!" Man, that old lady had a mouth on her. Seriously, what did they ever do to her? I could hear some grumbling behind me, so I could assume that Thorin thought the same thing.

"Fili, let me hold the girl. You're injured, aren't you?." Wait, Thorin? When did he start to care about what happened to me? I could feel Fili hesitate, but in the end he reluctantly handed me over to his uncle. Gently prying my hands from his shirt, he gave them a reassuring squeeze as I was passed into Thorin's waiting arms.

Feeling a pair of new arms and a chest, I cracked my eyes open to investigate. Looking up, I saw Thorin's eyes staring back, intently studying me. Blushing a little, I squeeze my eyes back shut, feeling shy around this new unfamiliar dwarf and his intense gaze. I felt his arms tighten slightly before we started to move again. Feeling Thorin stride up the stairs and over the creaking porch, relief wash through me. Finally, I felt the warmth of my house - causing me to relax slightly in Thorin's arms.

"Bring her over here." The old lady's tone was worthy of a commanding officer.

I took this as an opportunity to get her name. Turning in Thorin's arms, I looked over at the animated lady standing over my couch, hands planted on her hips. "Who _are_ you?" I finally asked the million dollar question.

Thorin pulled me closer to his chest. "Indeed lass, that is a good question. Who, or _what_, are you?"

The crazy lady gave us both a sly smile. "Lydia, local librarian, at your service." And with that she gave an exaggerated bow and a flourish of her hand. I looked up to Thorin, who was yet to set me down on the couch, saw his eyes turn to slits, suspicion written plainly on his face. Looking over to Lydia-the old lady-I could see her eyes have turned to slits too. I could practically feel the crackle of conflict in the air, making me nervous. I didn't know what a fight between an angry dwarf and a magical librarian would do to my precious house.

I had to do something before my house was destroyed by the powerful glares of two pissed off people. Hesitantly raising my hand, I tugged on Thorin's fur. Tearing his eyes away from the glaring librarian, his icy gaze turned back to me, making me immediately regret my decision to get his attention. Without looking at him - and blushing a bit - I did my best to muster up the strength to speak. "Sir, you can put me down now." (It didn't feel right just to say his name yet) My voice was barely above a whisper, but he heard it all the same. He gave me a considering glance, then looked over to a fuming Lydia. I could feel the presence of both brothers on each side of Thorin, silently giving him their support.

Hearing my request, (how she did is beyond me) Lydia raised her head and straightened her shoulders a bit. "That girl knows what's good for her, unlike you idiotic _dwarves_. She has a bleeding head and bloodied wrists, but you still won't let me heal her? _Foolish._" She spat out the last word, letting cold bitterness seep into her voice. Looking to my huddled form still resting in Thorin's arms, her eyes softened a little. "Come on dearie, let's get you cleaned up." She sat herself on the couch and patted the seat next to her, holding one hand out for me to take.

I still didn't know much about this new person, but she seemed that she would know more about healing than a dwarf, I could tell that much. I shifted a little in my place in Thorin's arms. "Thorin." He looked down at me again, an unreadable expression in his eyes as he regarded me. "Please let me down. I'm not going to get any better from you three, unless one of you dwarves know first aid." I could see understanding flicker over his brooding features, but the stubbornness was still firmly there. Finally, the war between reason and pride won out, reason being the victor.

Heaving a sigh, Thorin brought me over to the couch where Lydia was still waiting, letting me down gently. When he released me, he didn't move from my side - still giving untrusting glances in Lydia's direction. Fili and Kili followed their uncle's example, standing with their arms crossed firmly over their chests in front of the coffee table, still in their sweat pants. That made a weary smile appear on my lips.

I felt two gentle hands place themselves on the sides of my head, forcing me to face Lydia. One hand left my face to pull my long dark hair back from my forehead, where my gash was. The wound was now sticky with dried blood, making the side of my face feel tight and uncomfortable with the dried substance. Lydia, at the moment, was looking intently at my head, assessing. Lifting one arm, she pointed to Fili. "You!" she barked.

Fili looked mildly terrified to be confronted by the small angry woman. "Go fetch some warm water in a bowl, with a towel! And be quick about it!"

Before Fili could say anything, Kili intervened. "I'll do it! I know how to work those water pipes better than Fili!" I think I caught a slight smile from Lydia, but before I could look closer it was gone.

"Well, better get a move on then!" Lydia the commander was back, and she was hauling ass. Turning back to me, her facial expression changed so drastically I had to blink a few times to make sure I hand the right woman. Smiling sweetly, she held out her hands. "May I see your wrists, dear?"

I nodded, giving her my hands. Fear of this bi-polar woman was clogging up the words in my throat. She tsked as she inspected my wrists. "The rope dug in pretty deep, didn't they my dear?" I gave another hesitant nod. She smiled again. "We'll just have to clean and bandage them, then they'll be as good as new!" I gave a shy smile at that, which made her beam. I didn't know why she liked me so much, or why she didn't like the dwarves at all, but it peeved me a little. It could be just because I was a girl...

_Wait a second. How did she know they were dwarves by sight? How did she know Thorin's full name without someone telling her? _I looked closely at the woman in front of me. If it was possible, her curly hair was even more unruly than the last we met. her shawl was gone, leaving the worn purple dress her only clothing. Looking at her feet, I could see her strange staff resting next to a pair of worn laced-up boots. I looked to her eyes then, and saw that she was also assessing my appearance, looking me over like I was to her. She had a delicate bone structure, much like my own. I wasn't really the tallest person, but she was even shorter than my own height, reminding me of a pixie. She gave a small smile, making her sharp green eyes sparkle. "I suppose you have some questions, ey dearie?"

_Oh, you don't even know the half of it. _I settled for a firm nod. She gave my hands a gentle squeeze, encouraging me to continue. I looked intently into her eyes, only to see she was staring right back. "You'll answer all my questions, without dodging the truth?" I was remembering the librarian's introduction. She nodded. "Okay." I sucked in a deep breath. I could practically feel Thorin tense besides me in anticipation, ready to finally get some _solid_ answers. "What are you?"

She seemed satisfied with my question, a smug look taking place on her worn features. "Good question, dear. I am what some call a fairy, or fae." A moment of silence followed. _What, a fairy? What next, unicorns?_ I gulped.

"Can you show me proof?" I know that I saw her preform some kind of magic in the forest, but I needed more than that before I believe she's a _freaking_ _fairy. _

Kili chose that moment to appear with the requested supplies. Might I add, he looked mighty proud of himself as he placed the bowl and towel on the coffee table. "Got warm water and a towel, as requested." And with that, he sat down in the nearest seat with a smirk on his face, arms crossed over a puffed out chest. I wanted to roll my eyes at his antics. _For God's sake, its just a _sink. _Any normal person can work it. _

Lydia smirked. "Here's my chance. You want to see proof that I'm a fairy?" I nodded. "Good. Now let me see your head." I leaned over, giving her access to my gash. Dipping the towel into the warm water, Lydia gently cleaned all of the dried and sticky blood away from my face. After cleaning my face up, she then gently placed the towel back on the table, and rested a hand on my gash, making me wince a little. "Don't worry dear, It'll be over in a minute." She then started humming, making my head tingle a bit. It itched like hell, but her firm hold on both of my hands kept me from scratching. After a moment, she stopped humming, the tingling sensation disappearing with it. Straightening up, her eyes brightened when she looked at my forehead. "There we go! Good as new!"

Thorin shifted besides me. "Impossible. Let me see." Gently grabbing my chin, he tilted my head so he could see the spot where my gash should be. Looking into his face, I saw his eyes widen. "Witch craft." He whispered, then gently released my chin.

Fili's eyes brightened. "Amazing! And look, your wrists are healed too!" I looked down in surprise at my hands. Sure enough, where bleeding cuts used to be there was now my pale, unbroken skin. Looking up to Lydia, I could see a smug look on her face, drinking in our amazed reactions.

"Would you like to see more proof?" She asked. But she didn't wait for an answer, lifting one hand to her unruly hair to part it where her ear was hidden in the curly masses. I gaped at what I saw, hearing Kili give a small gasp - so I knew I wasn't the only surprised one.

I was looking at no human ear, but a long and elegant _pointed_ ear. It was similar to an elf's, but more elongated to the tip. She let her hair down again, obscuring our view again of her ears, effectively hiding them. Kili piped up, his voice full of excitement. "Are you and elf?"

"_No,_ I am certainly _not_ and elf. If you had hurried along with that bowl and towel, you would have heard me explain that I am a _fairy, _or _fae._" Her voice was full of steel, making poor Kili shrink back into his chair.

Thorin had shifted to sit on the coffee table. "Who are you?" He whispered.

"I am, Thorin Oakensheild, Lydia the Purple - a witch." She said her title with a pride, straightening her back a little and lifting her chin.

Excitement filled me. "Do you by chance know Gandalf the Grey?" I asked in a rush.

Lydia smiled fondly at the name. "Yes, I do. We've been good friends for many ages."

I was suddenly confused again. If she was a witch, why wasn't she in Middle Earth? "Why are you here - on Earth - instead of Middle Earth?"

"Ah." She leaned back a little. "Another good question, my dear. The answer would be because I have the gift of foresight." I gave her an astonished look, making her smile sweetly. "I had a vision of you, and these three. Now I can't tell you the details, or that would be cheating. But from that vision, I know that I am destined to help you get these three oafs back to where they belong. Eru only knows how they got through the portal in the first place..." She trailed off, a distant look in her eyes.

"Wait, slow down." I held up a hand. "Are you saying that those pillars are a portal to _Middle Earth?"_

Shaking herself of her thoughts, she waved a hand. "Yes, yes, but I'll tell you about that later. What is more important is the _second_ reason why I am helping you."

Fili had an incredulous look on his face. "There's _more_?"

"Yes, there's more you fool!" Lydia snapped. Fili just shook his head and plopped himself on the ground, seeing that he was the only one left standing. Looking back to me, Lydia gently grasped my hand again. "Now, as a witch and fae, I have lived a very long life - over three thousand years." I gaped, but she didn't give me any room to interject. "And over that long history of time, I've drifted back and forth between these worlds, having a few children in both." I was growing more and more confused. Looking around, I could see that all of the dwarves were giving the same looks of confusion that I felt. Where was she going with this? "What I'm trying to say Ellie, is that you're my descendant."

My eyes widened. Thorin tensed on the small table, along with his nephews in their spots. "Are you saying" I took a gulp of air. "That I'm a fairy?"

"Well," She hesitated. "Yes and no." She gave me a look that said_ Just let me finish explaining_, stopping me from interjecting. "You do have my blood in your veins, I can feel it. But the thing is with fae blood is that you either are full fae or you stay human for the rest of your life, carrying on the fae gene to your children. All you really need to become a full fae is to get a little spell from me. Really, it's painless." Was she reassuring me?

"What if I want to stay human?" I asked, suddenly realizing that my future was quickly dwindling down to two roads. I could feel the panic slowly rising inside me.

Her face hardened. "Dear, if there was any other way, I would let you live out the rest of your life fully mortal. But alas, the spell needed to bring these fools back home needs the power of two fae, and you are the only option." My shoulders slumped at that. I really didn't have that much of a choice, did I? How else were they going to get back?

"Lass." Thorin placed a hand on my shoulder, turning me to face him. "You don't have to give up your mortal life for us." His thumb started to gently stroke my shoulder, as if to comfort me.

I looked him hard in the eyes. "Thorin, I promised your nephews that I would get them home, and I don't intend to back out just because of selfish needs. You're needed on Middle Earth, and its imperative that you go back." All I could think about is how Bilbo would find the ring without Thorin's company, but couldn't come up with any other solutions.

Thorin looked me hard in the eyes, studying my reaction. Satisfied at what he saw there, he gave a grunt. "Thank you." He whispered. But before he could say any more, Fili and Kili both appeared, taking ahold of my arms and yanking me up to my feet.

"You are too kind, little human!" Kili swung me up in a bear hug, making me laugh at his silliness.

"You are as kind as you are fair." Fili whispered, pulling me - slightly breathless from Kili's bear hug - into a warm embrace, causing me to blush all the way to my toes.

I heard a rustling from the couch. "Let the girl breath! And release her at once! She has to take a bath in order to properly warm up!" Fili released me immediately, giving me a gentle push in the direction of the bathroom.

Just as I was shuffling my way to the bathroom, Fili called out to me. "You remember the bathroom rules, right Ellie?" He gave a cheeky grin.

I grinned right back. "Of course I do. I did invent them myself!" And with that, I disappeared into the depths of the bathroom.

I sighed as I leaned against the bathroom door. How the _hell_ did my life change so much in one day? This morning I was just a lonely girl and her cat, adventuring into the woods in search of inspiration. What had happened to that girl? She certainly wasn't the same. It reminded me of that one thing Alice said in 'Alice in Wonderland' - _I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then. _There was one thing for sure - I wasn't the same person I thought I was this morning. I might not even be the same _species_ tomorrow.

Right now I just wanted a warm shower.

* * *

**WHEW! What a long chapter! What do you think of the new developments? Would you like some dwarven perspective? I was thinking of writing a bit from the perspective of one of the dwarves. And remember, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. Plleeeeaassseee reviews mean BUNCHES to me! AND I KNOW YOU PEOPLE READ MY STORIES, I CAN SEE HOW MANY HAVE READ MY STORY IN THE MONTH. YOU ALL JUST AREN'T REVIEWING. **

**Love you all**

**Ellie's Imagination World**


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